Struggling to Break into Corporate HR: How Do Freshers Gain Experience When No One Hires Them?

Hi everyone,

I am an MBA with a specialization in HR. Over the past two months, I have been applying to companies as my aim is to get into corporate HR. However, the reply I have been getting so far is, "Sorry, we only take experienced people." Since this site has HR professionals right from trainees to presidents, my question to you all is, "IF NO ONE IS WILLING TO GIVE ME, A FRESHER, ANY EXPERIENCE, WHERE DO I GET IT FROM?" Please do reply as this statement, from almost all companies where I have applied, has put me in confusion.

And yes, places from where I have got an opportunity are offering such humiliating packages (e.g., 60,000 p.a.), that I now get second thoughts about whether my degree has any worth or not. I really want to know if this happens with you guys too. I just thought about sharing my dilemma with you all after almost reaching the point of frustration. No offense intended. I'm just a disappointed fresher. Your contribution to this will be really appreciated.

Pearl.

Hi,

I am also facing a similar problem. I can understand what you must be going through. Please be confident and patient. Good times will come. All the best. Be positive.

I also request the seniors to answer the question and guide us in the right direction.

Regards,
Sp

Hi Pearl,

Nice name. Your aim is correct and good - to become a corporate HR. However, as a fresher, you have primarily theoretical knowledge. To excel as a corporate HR, you need to acquire practical experience in the field.

You mentioned receiving some job opportunities, but you appear uninterested in pursuing them. It's worth noting that these companies are willing to pay Rs. 5000 per month for your theoretical knowledge alone. My advice is to consider accepting a position to gain practical experience rather than waiting for a higher salary. Acquiring knowledge and experience will take time (at least a year), but it will undoubtedly pave the way for you to become a successful corporate HR professional.

I wish you all the best in your future endeavors.

Best regards,
Manjunath

Hi Pearl,

Hope am not late in responding to your mail..just that when i read your mail..felt nostalgic as i faced the similar situation as well..remember those days ..1995 they were no access to internet or support groups which are available today..you are lucky in today's times to have access to the information and someone to say something..

Also would like to thank Manjunath for his encouraging response..

Forget them..don;t take it personally..may be this is a polite answer for no vacancies for the freshers..move on..

Well..believe me Pearl..we all have gone through similar phases..one just needs to be patient..and this experience perhaps can teach you a lot..depends how you take it..

Today when i look at the early career path/CVs of the top performers..invariably all of them had a low salary start..this reminds me the quote my father often said ..in the first job ..focus on the learnings not on the salary..do you know something most the campus placements by B-school ...about 80 % quit their first job!!! Do you know what you want?...how you present yourself in the interview is important..By the way what is your passion?..what drives you ??..is something you have answer to yourself as life is a great journey and it has lot to offer lot more than you think..

Would like you to transform yourself ..disappointed fresher to ENTHUSIASTIC fresher..

Cheers,

Rajat

Please refer this article..

http://content.monster.co.uk/9790_en-GB_p1.asp

How to Land your Dream Job

by Jenny Ungless

Monster Career Life Coach

For many people, work is a necessary evil – it's what we do to allow us to afford to do fun things in our leisure time. Research has found that as many as two-thirds of people in the UK are unhappy at work. That's a shocking statistic: most of us will spend around 80,000 hours at work during our lifetime – far too long to spend being miserable and not enjoying what you do.

It's easy to dismiss the idea of having work that you love as an unachievable daydream. But if you do, you're selling yourself – and other people – short. First of all, you deserve to love what you do for a living. And when you love your work, you'll give your best: the most successful employees or entrepreneurs are those who are fired up by the pleasure and excitement of what they are doing, who'd love their job even if they weren't being paid for it.

It's basic common sense to choose a career that you're really going to enjoy. But there's the rub – most people don't know what they really, really want to do. That's partly because we are conditioned from an early age to aspire to what those around us – parents, teachers, peers, the media - define as a good job or career, and partly because most of us never take the time properly to get to know our own talents and desires. But it is possible to take control of your future and find your unique vocation. Here's how.

KNOW YOUR VALUES

You can't find out what you want until you find out who you are. What are your values? What's most important to you? What are you passionate about? What do you really want out of life and how do you want your friends and family to remember you? Taking the time to think about the things that really matter to you is a good starting point for finding your ideal role. Work is a very important part of most people's lives, but it is only one part – so get clear about what you want your life and lifestyle to be like, and what kind of work-life balance you're looking for. You need to have a context for your career choices.

SPOTLIGHT YOUR SKILLS

The real secret to finding your career niche is to focus on the skills you like to use and things that you're really interested in. Carry out a skills analysis: the trick is to focus on your favourite skills. The mistake that most of us make when we're asked to list our skills is to focus on what we've done in the past, whether we've enjoyed it or not. But if you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always had, and this applies to your career as much as to anything else. Concentrate on what you like to do, not what your CV says you can do. The second trick is to be specific. To say that you are a “good communicator” doesn't really throw a lot of light on the subject. But if you know that you like talking informally to small groups of people but hate making formal presentations, then you're starting to get somewhere!

WHAT INTERESTS YOU?

Once you know the skills you have and most enjoy using, the next step is to find the area or field where you want to apply those skills. The key here is to focus on what you're interested in. Let's face it, if you don't care about what you're doing or the environment you're doing it in, your job satisfaction isn't going to be very high. Think about it: if your favourite skills are winning over customers and negotiating deals, a career in sales could suit you well. But what will make the crucial difference is what you're selling: if you're not the slightest bit interested in the product, it's hard to convince someone else that they should buy one! It's the same with any career: you need to be genuinely interested in what you're doing if you want to be really successful at it. Write down every single thing that interests you – what books do you read, what films and TV programmes do you watch, what do you talk about at parties? What kind of shops do you browse in? Who are your heroes or role models? Put together a comprehensive list of everything that you get enthusiastic about.

PULLING IT ALL TOGETHER

Now brainstorm around these findings: how many different ways are there for you to use the skills you've identified in relation to the things that interest you? Think in terms of roles or activity rather than job titles. And don't be afraid to think imaginatively – the working environment is more flexible now than it has ever been, so allow yourself to think outside the “9 to 5” and “traditional career route” boxes. Don't expect your ideal career to jump up and hit you straightaway. It might, but it probably won't. Take time to muse, to think laterally, let your imagination run riot and let your intuition speak to you. Try to visualise your “ideal life” – if money was no object, or you knew you couldn't fail, what would you really love to have a go at? What's holding you back?

Think, too, about the criteria against which you want to assess all the possibilities. What are the most important aspects of work for you? The money? Your work colleagues? The working environment? How do you want to work – on your own or in a team, for example? Do you want to travel or be based in one place? You need to know your preferences so that you can find a career that fits you.

MAKING IT HAPPEN

Once you know the kind of career you're looking for, you need to go for it! Use all the tricks in the book. Research your chosen industry thoroughly. Network as widely as you can and ask for informational interviews. If necessary, find someone who might give you some work experience or take you on part-time. Make sure that you are an employer's most attractive prospect because you are motivated, informed and know what you have to offer.

Finally, remember that, in the final analysis, it's your life, your career, and your unfulfilled potential if you don't find and follow your dream. So go for it – you owe it to yourself.

Hi Pearl,

Wish you all the best, and may all your sincere dreams come true. Keep up the spirit, dear. There is something good in store for you in the days ahead. Thanks for the response, SP, Manjunath, and Rajat. The reply was morale-boosting for all the freshers on the forum. Keep guiding us.

Good day.

Regards,
Priya

Hi Pearl,

This is really true that all of us have gone through the same phase. I would like to know which institute/college you graduated from. What about the campus placement? There are many companies that are recruiting freshers only, and they post information online. Try to search for these companies. As Rajat has rightly said, you need to learn in your first job. I'm from a well-reputed institute, yet I could not get a well-paid job in the first attempt; I had to wait for 8 months. Have patience, as "perseverance and patience pay off." All the best and always stay motivated, as your positive energy can bring good luck. :) :)

Cheers, Archna

Hi Pearl,

Cheer up! 😄 As everyone, I too went through a similar phase. You know what, Pearl, at this stage, salary shouldn't be an issue. You should grab the opportunity "to learn," get practical exposure. Learning is a continuous process. There are lots of opportunities in the HR field; you just have to approach with an open mind.

All the best!!!

Deep :)

Pearl,

I understand your situation and appreciate your position.

You have carried out a lot of external analysis to evaluate your position. I would suggest, please do a self-analysis of WHY YOU ARE IN THIS POSITION TODAY? THERE MIGHT LIE THE SOLUTION.

- What is the perception in the market for MBA HR?
- What is the perception of the institute from where you got your MBA HR?
- What is the market rate of MBA HR as against MBA [other subjects]?
- Why not seek a management trainee position?
- What does the employer seek/prefer -- is it knowledge, skills, or competence? IT IS COMPETENCE -- WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR THE BUSINESS.
- Is the employer seeking knowledge or IMPACT ON THE BUSINESS? IT IS THE IMPACT ON THE BUSINESS.
- Are you positioning yourself correctly in front of the employer? THIS IS CRITICAL IN THE SELECTION PROCESS.
- You may have the knowledge of HR, but does the employer see it in that way? etc, etc.

THESE AND MANY OTHER QUESTIONS AFFECT THE SELECTION OF AN EMPLOYEE.

MY SUGGESTION IS:

- GRAB THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY OF YOUR CHOICE AND SHOW THE EMPLOYER **YOU ARE WORTH MORE THAN WHAT THEY ARE PAYING.
- PICK TWO MAJOR PROJECTS, WHERE YOU CAN PRODUCE SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE BUSINESS IN THE FIRST 12 MONTHS. IF YOU CAN DO THIS, YOU ARE A WINNER ANYWHERE.

Regards,

LEO LINGHAM

Dear Pearl,

Don't get disappointed ☹️☹️....

Great people always face problems. See the big examples around us like Sudha Murthy. When she sent her resume to the TATA Group, she received a reply stating that she was not suitable for the post. She then aggressively asked them what the reason was, and the only disqualification mentioned was her "womenhood" for grabbing the job. However, she never got disappointed. You know this dynamic lady, a very important pillar of the "Infosys Empire" today.

So, cheers...

And never count your talent in terms of money. Always try to give your best, whatever you do or whichever job you take. Money will automatically follow you.

Even I started my career on a very low salary, but earning money was not my primary goal at that time. I gained practical knowledge, and today, I have money, position, and a career.

So, dear, cheer up and start with an optimistic smile on your lips, then see the whole world will be yours.

I hope I could give you a satisfactory answer because I have gone through all this. Always remember that "winners are never quitters, and quitters are never winners."

So start with full zeal because where there is a will, there is a way.

Warm Regards,

Mona

Dear all,

Well thank you all for the encouraging comments and thanks to Mona for a highlight on Sudha Murthy..

Well, allow me to share this address by Steve Jobs ex-founder of Apple on his intial days of struggle & frustration..shares his three stories from his life..which is truly inspiring..please read the same though it's long but has a lot of lessons to be learnt and make a fresh start in our respective lives..

In particularly what i like his candid statement..

Am sure some of you would someday after 25 years would have a similar story to talk about... :)

Cheers & have a great weekend....

Rajat

This is the text of the Commencement address by Steve

Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation

Studios, delivered on June 12, 2005.------

I am honored to be with you today at your commencement

from one of the finest universities in the world. I

never graduated from college. Truth be told, this is

the closest I've ever gotten to a college graduation.

Today I want to tell you three stories from my life.

That's it. No big deal. Just three stories.

The first story is about connecting the dots.

I dropped out of Reed College after the first 6

months, but then stayed around as a drop-in for

another 18 months or so before I really quit. So why

did I drop out?

It started before I was born. My biological mother was

a young, unwed college graduate student, and she

decided to put me up for adoption. She felt very

strongly that I should be adopted by college

graduates, so everything was all set for me to be

adopted at birth by a lawyer and his wife. Except that

when I popped out they decided at the last minute that

they really wanted a girl. So my parents, who were on

a waiting list, got a call in the middle of the night

asking: "We have an unexpected baby boy; do you want

him?" They said: "Of course." My biological mother

later found out that my mother had never graduated

from college and that my father had never graduated

from high school. She refused to sign the final

adoption papers. She only relented a few months later

when my parents promised that I would someday go to

college.

And 17 years later I did go to college. But I naively

chose a college that was almost as expensive as

Stanford, and all of my working-class parents' savings

were being spent on my college tuition. After six

months, I couldn't see the value in it. I had no idea

what I wanted to do with my life and no idea how

college was going to help me figure it out. And here I

was spending all of the money my parents had saved

their entire life. So I decided to drop out and trust

that it would all work out OK. It was pretty scary at

the time, but looking back it was one of the best

decisions I ever made. The minute I dropped out I

could stop taking the required classes that didn't

interest me, and begin dropping in on the ones that

looked interesting.

It wasn't all romantic. I didn't have a dorm room, so

I slept on the floor in friends' rooms, I returned

coke bottles for the 5¢ deposits to buy food with, and

I would walk the 7 miles across town every Sunday

night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna

temple. I loved it. And much of what I stumbled into

by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to

be priceless later on. Let me give you one example:

Reed College at that time offered perhaps the best

calligraphy instruction in the country. Throughout the

campus every poster, every label on every drawer, was

beautifully hand calligraphed. Because I had dropped

out and didn't have to take the normal classes, I

decided to take a calligraphy class to learn how to do

this. I learned about serif and san serif typefaces,

about varying the amount of space between different

letter combinations, about what makes great typography

great. It was beautiful, historical, artistically

subtle in a way that science can't capture, and I

found it fascinating.

None of this had even a hope of any practical

application in my life. But ten years later, when we

were designing the first Macintosh computer, it all

came back to me. And we designed it all into the Mac.

It was the first computer with beautiful typography.

If I had never dropped in on that single course in

college, the Mac would have never had multiple

typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts. And since

Windows just copied the Mac, its likely that no

personal computer would have them. If I had never

dropped out, I would have never dropped in on this

calligraphy class, and personal computers might not

have the wonderful typography that they do. Of course

it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward

when I was in college. But it was very, very clear

looking backwards ten years later.

Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward; you

can only connect them looking backwards. So you have

to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your

future. You have to trust in something - your gut,

destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has

never let me down, and it has made all the difference

in my life.

My second story is about love and loss.

I was lucky – I found what I loved to do early in

life. Woz and I started Apple in my parents garage

when I was 20. We worked hard, and in 10 years Apple

had grown from just the two of us in a garage into a

$2 billion company with over 4000 employees. We had

just released our finest creation - the Macintosh - a

year earlier, and I had just turned 30. And then I got

fired. How can you get fired from a company you

started? Well, as Apple grew we hired someone who I

thought was very talented to run the company with me,

and for the first year or so things went well. But

then our visions of the future began to diverge and

eventually we had a falling out. When we did, our

Board of Directors sided with him. So at 30 I was out.

And very publicly out. What had been the focus of my

entire adult life was gone, and it was devastating.

I really didn't know what to do for a few months. I

felt that I had let the previous generation of

entrepreneurs down - that I had dropped the baton as

it was being passed to me. I met with David Packard

and Bob Noyce and tried to apologize for screwing up

so badly. I was a very public failure, and I even

thought about running away from the valley. But

something slowly began to dawn on me – I still loved

what I did. The turn of events at Apple had not

changed that one bit. I had been rejected, but I was

still in love. And so I decided to start over.

I didn't see it then, but it turned out that getting

fired from Apple was the best thing that could have

ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful

was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner

again, less sure about everything. It freed me to

enter one of the most creative periods of my life.

During the next five years, I started a company named

NeXT, another company named Pixar, and fell in love

with an amazing woman who would become my wife. Pixar

went on to create the worlds first computer animated

feature film, Toy Story, and is now the most

successful animation studio in the world. In a

remarkable turn of events, Apple bought NeXT, I

retuned to Apple, and the technology we developed at

NeXT is at the heart of Apple's current renaissance.

And Laurene and I have a wonderful family together.

I'm pretty sure none of this would have happened if I

hadn't been fired from Apple. It was awful tasting

medicine, but I guess the patient needed it. Sometimes

life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose

faith. I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me

going was that I loved what I did. You've got to find

what you love. And that is as true for your work as it

is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large

part of your life, and the only way to be truly

satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And

the only way to do great work is to love what you do.

If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't

settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know

when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it

just gets better and better as the years roll on. So

keep looking until you find it. Don't settle.

My third story is about death.

When I was 17, I read a quote that went something

like: "If you live each day as if it was your last,

someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an

impression on me, and since then, for the past 33

years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and

asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life,

would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And

whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in

a row, I know I need to change something.

Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most

important tool I've ever encountered to help me make

the big choices in life. Because almost everything –

all external expectations, all pride, all fear of

embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away

in the face of death, leaving only what is truly

important. Remembering that you are going to die is

the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you

have something to lose. You are already naked. There

is no reason not to follow your heart.

About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a

scan at 7:30 in the morning, and it clearly showed a

tumor on my pancreas. I didn't even know what a

pancreas was. The doctors told me this was almost

certainly a type of cancer that is incurable, and that

I should expect to live no longer than three to six

months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my

affairs in order, which is doctor's code for prepare

to die. It means to try to tell your kids everything

you thought you'd have the next 10 years to tell them

in just a few months. It means to make sure everything

is buttoned up so that it will be as easy as possible

for your family. It means to say your goodbyes.

I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that

evening I had a biopsy, where they stuck an endoscope

down my throat, through my stomach and into my

intestines, put a needle into my pancreas and got a

few cells from the tumor. I was sedated, but my wife,

who was there, told me that when they viewed the cells

under a microscope the doctors started crying because

it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic

cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery

and I'm fine now.

This was the closest I've been to facing death, and I

hope its the closest I get for a few more decades.

Having lived through it, I can now say this to you

with a bit more certainty than when death was a useful

but purely intellectual concept:

No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to

heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death

is the destination we all share. No one has ever

escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death

is very likely the single best invention of Life. It

is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make

way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday

not too long from now, you will gradually become the

old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but

it is quite true.

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone

else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is

living with the results of other people's thinking.

Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your

own inner voice. And most important, have the courage

to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow

already know what you truly want to become. Everything

else is secondary.

When I was young, there was an amazing publication

called The Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of the

bibles of my generation. It was created by a fellow

named Stewart Brand not far from here in Menlo Park,

and he brought it to life with his poetic touch. This

was in the late 1960's, before personal computers and

desktop publishing, so it was all made with

typewriters, scissors, and polaroid cameras. It was

sort of like Google in paperback form, 35 years before

Google came along: it was idealistic, and overflowing

with neat tools and great notions.

Stewart and his team put out several issues of The

Whole Earth Catalog, and then when it had run its

course, they put out a final issue. It was the

mid-1970s, and I was your age. On the back cover of

their final issue was a photograph of an early morning

country road, the kind you might find yourself

hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath it

were the words: "Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish." It was

their farewell message as they signed off. Stay

Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always wished that

for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I

wish that for you.

Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

Thank you all very much.

Dear All,

Great reading, Rajat. As always, your posts are simply great. For my fresher friends, I would like to quote one of my teachers who once told us, "Always keep trying and stick to what is right. Opportunity will come to you one day. And on that day, you should not say, 'if only I had not left it.'" He was speaking to a group of aspiring CAs.

Let me add a real-life example. Just think of the position of Civil Engineers seven years ago and think of them now. I have known people with a Civil background sweating it out in some remote places in India, risking their lives, staying away from their families, and drawing a meager salary while carrying out medium civil projects with not very bright futures. Even the Engineering Colleges kept Civil Engineering for students with lower ranks. Then the infrastructural boom happened, and these people who had been sweating out with such low pay are now enjoying one of the best-paying jobs in the country. All of them whom I know stuck to what they knew and did best, and once the opportunity came, they cashed in.

Always remember what Edison said, "I wish people knew how much closer they were to success when they left trying."

Regards,

SC

Hi Pearl,

Follow Rajat's advice. I would also like to gift you some pearls which I learned in my career. Hope it is helpful to you.

1. You cannot negotiate your salary as a fresher. The first year of your career is to learn.

2. Don't just learn, also stretch your time and stretch your work while learning. There's a saying, "if you work more than you earn in the beginning you will earn more than you work later."

3. Make yourself indispensable. I always tell this to my students. There is a school of thought that says, "nobody's indispensable, the world goes on as it is even without you." But I would say, "Don't go with the common line of thinking, as an MBA, you ought to contribute towards changes to the company not just participate in the routine activity. By doing this, you become indispensable."

4. Can you identify areas for improvement and initiate changes? You could if you keep an open mind and learn first.

5. Your value as a professional would increase if you learn to be creative and different. For this, you have to observe and learn who is successful in your work area. You will always remember your first job because you will get a wealth of information, experience, and learning.

Don't hesitate to take that first step. Develop the right attitude.

So, cheer up girl, and get going. All the best to you.

Regards,

Kusum

Hi Pearl,

First job is always a school for everyone's life. In the first year of your career, never expect money. Expect wisdom. It does come with continuous learning. The more you learn in the beginning days of your career, the more you can utilize it in later days of your career.

One year ago, my thinking was also like yours. But now, I have realized many things, learned many things, and dealt with many situations. I don't say that I am now a perfect and well-equipped HR professional, but I can say one thing: I am a much more mature person now compared to one year ago.

My advice is to never chase money; pursue knowledge. Once knowledge is with you, the rest will come to you automatically. So, cheer up and join any company that gives you the opportunity to learn. Cheers, Pearl, and I wish you a successful career.

Cheers,
Kiran.N 😊

Hi all!

I am Minal from Hyderabad, currently working as an HR Executive and recently completed an MBA. This is my second job in the last 9 months. I am striving hard to gain stability, but my problem is that I am unable to find the exact job I am looking for. I quit my first job because of a lack of job satisfaction, and now in my second job, I feel the same.

I am not given the relevant responsibilities and a proper work atmosphere. Now, it's creating frustration, and I am unable to do anything about it once I join the company.

Now, I need some tips to determine whether the company will provide me with a good learning opportunity and a good experience or not.

Please help me out in this matter.

Hi Minal,

You must be really worked up as you've written your topic four times 😂.

I'm relieved to know that I'm not the only one caught up in a storm. However, I am not in the least pleased to know this.

You must have read many replies by now to my topic. I really appreciate their inputs. I'll add something which was told to me by an HR exec.

The first year or minimum six months of your job will involve doing mostly odd jobs. Not much responsibility will be given here as you're still in the learning process yourself. For example, responsibilities like training, compensation, and benefits, etc., will not be given to you in the first year.

Are you told just to screen through CVs, arrange for interviews, etc.? This is common for every HR exec's first job.

So, don't get disappointed and start thinking like me, or else you'll be like this even at your workplace and may miss out on that silver lining which may appear. And please don't change jobs frequently, or else you may be tagged as a job hopper.

Also, wait for the right opportunity to come along. Take up a job which you like and not the one which comes first to grab. Remember, I've been advised to take up jobs even though they don't seem appropriate for me. However, I have stuck to my decision of taking up something which I like and am happy for the same.

And please stay on your job for at least a year as the first year goes only in learning the organizational functions.

Here's one thing you can do. Side by side, work on a project which relates to your industry. Gather data which may be useful for the organization where you work. Then surprise your seniors with a presentation on the same. This will work as a motivational tool on your part and will develop a need for recognition on the part of your seniors. But please don't mess up. Have the figures and facts correct. You'll have to be 200% right to impress them.

ALL THE BEST. DON'T WORRY, EACH ONE OF US HAS SOMETHING GOOD IN STORE FOR THEM. 😂

Pearl.

Hi! Thanks for your motivating reply. Actually, I was so confused about what to do and felt lost and neglected in this competitive corporate world that I felt like quitting everything and sitting at home. But now, I will try my level best to stick to your valuable suggestion. ALL THE BEST...

MINAL.

Thank you, Philip. I really appreciate your offer of help. I have been placed; however, I could not ignore your email. Thanks once again.

Pearl.

Hi, I am Shubhra. I have just completed my MBA in HR and am looking for a job in core HR. I have certain doubts, so please help me out. Will starting with a consultancy firm affect my career in the long run? Is it difficult to break into corporate once you enter consultancy? Also, tell me if being on the payroll of some company while working for another affects your career.

Dear Subhra,

The answer to your first question:

1) Yes, if you are working for a consultancy firm, it will affect your career since the pattern of work, responsibility, and methods differ. You will find it difficult to get jobs in areas that require overall exposure. Your field will become narrow to the extent of the field you are consulting. For example, an HR professional working in a Placement Consultancy will likely get a job as a Manager - Recruitment, but it is difficult to get a job as a Manager-HR.

2) Regarding the second question, I would like to say that yes, some companies do differentiate, but again, some companies don't. It is up to the company. One thing I can tell you is that with the growth in the economy, there is a shortage of efficient and capable manpower, so you will get recruited if you fit the profile. The companies that differentiate are now being compelled to hire whoever they find in this period of crunch, suiting their profile.

Regards,
SC